Overview

The 2014 Global Slavery Index presents a ranking of 167 countries based on the percent of a country’s population that is estimated to be in modern slavery. This year we have also ranked countries based on what actions their governments are taking to end modern slavery. We also analysed the contextual factors that make people vulnerable to modern slavery.

How big is the problem?

The table below shows the prevalence of slavery, based on the percentage of the population enslaved and the estimated number of people enslaved by country. For more information on how to interpret the table or sort the data presented, please click on the help button.

Global Rankings

Country

Index rank

Slaves (percentage)

Slaves (est.)

Iceland

167

0.007

23

Ireland

166

0.007

300

Luxembourg

165

0.013

71

New Zealand

164

0.013

600

Norway

163

0.013

700

Finland

162

0.013

700

Denmark

161

0.013

700

Switzerland

160

0.013

1100

Austria

159

0.013

1100

Sweden

158

0.013

1200

Portugal

157

0.013

1400

Greece

156

0.013

1400

Belgium

155

0.013

1500

Netherlands

154

0.013

2200

Australia

153

0.013

3000

Taiwan

152

0.013

3000

Canada

151

0.013

4600

Spain

150

0.013

6100

United Kingdom

149

0.013

8300

France

148

0.013

8600

Germany

147

0.013

10500

Italy

146

0.019

11400

United States

145

0.019

60100

Cuba

144

0.0362

4100

Brazil

143

0.0775

155300

Israel

142

0.0806

6500

Singapore

141

0.0998

5400

Latvia

140

0.1132

2300

Romania

139

0.1132

22600

Belarus

138

0.1215

11500

Madagascar

137

0.1326

30400

Kenya

136

0.1464

64900

Barbados

135

0.1488

400

Jamaica

134

0.1548

4200

Trinidad and Tobago

133

0.169

2300

Dominican Rep.

132

0.1754

18200

Hong Kong

131

0.1865

13400

Poland

130

0.1865

71900

Argentina

129

0.1865

77300

Korea

128

0.1865

93700

Japan

127

0.1865

237500

South Africa

126

0.2001

106000

Venezuela

125

0.2002

60900

Uruguay

124

0.2095

7100

Panama

123

0.2095

8100

Costa Rica

122

0.2095

10200

Chile

121

0.2095

36900

Nicaragua

120

0.2182

13300

El Salvador

119

0.2182

13800

Paraguay

118

0.2182

14800

Honduras

117

0.2182

17700

Bolivia

116

0.2182

23300

Guatemala

115

0.2182

33800

Ecuador

114

0.2182

34300

Peru

113

0.2182

66300

Colombia

112

0.2182

105400

Mexico

111

0.2182

266900

Papua New Guinea

110

0.23

16800

China

109

0.2388

3241400

Gabon

108

0.2476

4100

Kosovo

107

0.2476

4500

Ukraine

106

0.2476

112600

Turkey

105

0.2476

185500

Mauritius

104

0.2541

3300

Philippines

103

0.2655

261200

Indonesia

102

0.2858

714100

Saudi Arabia

101

0.2919

84200

Tunisia

100

0.3063

33300

Timor-Leste

99

0.3404

4000

Turkmenistan

98

0.3592

18800

Kyrgyzstan

97

0.3592

20500

Lao PDR

96

0.3592

24300

Tajikistan

95

0.3592

29500

Azerbaijan

94

0.3592

33800

Kazakhstan

93

0.3592

61200

Sri Lanka

92

0.3592

73600

Cameroon

91

0.3592

79900

Uganda

90

0.3592

135000

Vietnam

89

0.3592

322200

Montenegro

88

0.36

2200

Cyprus

87

0.36

4100

Estonia

86

0.36

4800

Slovenia

85

0.36

7400

Macedonia

84

0.36

7600

Albania

83

0.36

10000

Lithuania

82

0.36

10600

Armenia

81

0.36

10700

Bosnia and Herz.

80

0.36

13800

Croatia

79

0.36

15300

Georgia

78

0.36

16100

Slovakia

77

0.36

19500

Serbia

76

0.36

25800

Hungary

75

0.36

35600

Czech Rep.

74

0.36

37900

Bulgaria

73

0.3797

27600

Guyana

72

0.387

3100

Ethiopia

71

0.4141

389700

Eq. Guinea

70

0.4348

3300

Libya

69

0.4348

27000

Eritrea

68

0.4348

27500

Somalia

67

0.4348

45600

Zimbabwe

66

0.4348

61500

Angola

65

0.4348

93400

Yemen

64

0.4348

106100

Dem. Rep. Korea

63

0.4348

108200

Afghanistan

62

0.4348

132800

Myanmar

61

0.4348

231600

Iran

60

0.4348

336700

Bangladesh

59

0.4348

680900

Lebanon

58

0.48

21400

Jordan

57

0.48

31000

Malaysia

56

0.48

142600

Morocco

55

0.48

158400

Algeria

54

0.48

188200

Egypt

53

0.48

393800

Nigeria

52

0.4805

834200

Guinea-Bissau

51

0.5001

8500

Swaziland

50

0.5359

6700

Cape Verde

49

0.6368

3200

Brunei

48

0.7093

3000

Bahrain

47

0.7093

9400

Kuwait

46

0.7093

23900

Oman

45

0.7093

25800

Thailand

44

0.7093

475300

Djibouti

43

0.7114

6200

Gambia

42

0.7114

13200

Sierra Leone

41

0.7114

43300

Burundi

40

0.7114

72300

S. Sudan

39

0.7114

80400

Guinea

38

0.7114

83600

Rwanda

37

0.7114

83800

Chad

36

0.7114

91200

Mali

35

0.7114

108900

Côte d’Ivoire

34

0.7114

144500

Tanzania

33

0.7114

350400

Russia

32

0.7315

1049700

Lesotho

31

0.7456

15500

Liberia

30

0.7456

32000

Togo

29

0.7456

50800

Benin

28

0.7456

77000

Senegal

27

0.7456

105400

Zambia

26

0.7456

108400

Malawi

25

0.7456

122000

Burkina Faso

24

0.7456

126300

Niger

23

0.7456

132900

Mozambique

22

0.7456

192600

Ghana

21

0.7456

193100

Nepal

20

0.8227

228700

Suriname

19

0.9068

4900

Botswana

18

0.9068

18300

Namibia

17

0.9068

20900

Mongolia

16

0.9068

25700

Moldova

15

0.9362

33300

Cambodia

14

1.0292

155800

Iraq

13

1.0351

345900

United Arab Emirates

12

1.0572

98800

Rep. of the Congo

11

1.1061

49200

Central African Rep.

10

1.13

52200

Syria

9

1.13

258200

Sudan

8

1.13

429000

Dem. Rep. Congo

7

1.13

762900

Pakistan

6

1.13

2058200

India

5

1.1409

14285700

Qatar

4

1.3563

29400

Haiti

3

2.3041

237700

Uzbekistan

2

3.9729

1201400

Mauritania

1

4

155600

Around the world today, there are an estimated 35.8 million men, women and children trapped in modern slavery

It is important to note that we are not asserting that there has been an increase in modern slavery around the world over the last year. We believe that this increase is due to the improved accuracy and precision of our measures and that we are uncovering modern slavery where it was not seen before. Five countries are appearing in the Global Slavery Index for the first time: Taiwan, South Sudan, North Korea, Kosovo and Cyprus. A detailed description of the methodology underpinning this process can be found here.

A ranking of one in the Index indicates the most severely concentrated modern slavery situation; a ranking of 167 indicates the least severely concentrated modern slavery problem.

The ten countries with the highest estimated prevalence of modern slavery by population are: Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Haiti, Qatar, India, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Syria and the Central African Republic.

The countries with the largest estimated numbers of people in modern slavery are: India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Taken together, these countries account for 71 percent of the estimated 35.8 million people in modern slavery.

As was the case in 2013, the West African nation of Mauritania ranks number one in the Index. In 2014, an estimated four percent of the population – approximately 155,600 people – are enslaved in Mauritania, a country with deeply entrenched hereditary slavery. In the past 12 months, the Mauritanian Government has taken positive steps to address slavery, adopting a plan of action recommended by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. The government has agreed, amongst other things, to establishing a special tribunal to adjudicate cases of slavery. While this progress is important, it may be several years before these changes have any impact on the size of the problem.

The Republic of Uzbekistan, a Central Asian nation whose economy relies heavily on cotton production and export, is second in the Index. The rise in Uzbekistan’s ranking is a direct reflection of government-imposed forced labour. While it is very difficult to obtain accurate estimates of modern slavery in Uzbekistan, the role of the government in forcing citizens to pick cotton for two months every year has been well-documented by numerous organisations.1 The most conservative of available estimates indicates that almost four percent – approximately 1,201,400 people – of the Uzbek population is subjected to modern slavery during the annual cotton harvest.

Several other countries rose in the rankings in 2014. Those that entered the top ten include: Qatar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Syria and the Central African Republic.

Qatar hosts significant numbers of foreign workers, and has risen in the ranking due to improved survey data giving better insight to the high number of enslaved migrant workers in the nation. It is ranked fourth with an estimated 1.4 percent of the population in modern slavery. We consider this to be a conservative estimate.

The ranking of Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan, Syria and the Central African Republic in the top ten reflects the impact of war and conflict on modern slavery. Conflict brings an almost immediate end to the rule of law, as well as bringing most infrastructure, normal services and governmental processes to a halt. In conflict, exploitation becomes an immediate threat to an increased proportion of the population. Over one percent of the population of Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Syria and Central African Republic is estimated to be in modern slavery. In absolute terms, this is approximately 2,058,200 people from Pakistan, 762,900 people from DRC, 429,000 people from Sudan, 258,200 people from Syria, and 52,200 people from the Central African Republic.

Ireland and Iceland sit at 166 and 167 in the 2014 Index with the lowest prevalence of modern slavery. While the estimated proportion of the population in modern slavery in each country is small (0.0007, or seven in every 10,000 persons in the population), no country in the Global Slavery Index is free of modern slavery. Ireland and Iceland are estimated to have approximately 300 and up to 100 people in modern slavery, respectively.

Government Response

In the table below, each country was given a letter rating based the strength of government responses to modern slavery. The highest possible rating is an AAA, and the lowest a D. For more information on how to interpret the table or sort the data presented, please click on the help button.

While no country has a fully comprehensive response to modern slavery, most countries within the Index are taking some action to respond to the problem. All countries, with the exception of North Korea, have domestic legislation which criminalises some form of modern slavery. This ranges from articles in their penal codes criminalising forced labour or child commercial sexual exploitation, through to fully fledged counter trafficking legislation. Australia and the United Kingdom currently criminalise all forms of modern slavery, including forced marriage. While in most countries there is room for improvement, some laws do exist to hold perpetrators to account in almost every country, which suggests much more could be done within existing frameworks.

Many countries have developed a national action plan to respond to forms of modern slavery (101 of 167 countries), and some have a national coordination body (140 of 167 countries). Nearly all countries participate in a relevant regional response (165 of 167 countries).

Identifying victims is a critical first step to ensuring that they are removed from harm and provided with support. Most governments provide some training to front line law enforcement on how to identify victims (150 of 167). In 2014, the Index does not take into account the scale or quality of the training. Fewer governments, however, are providing training for other potential ‘first responders’, that is those in the health and social services, teachers, or those who work in the tourism industry, who may also come into contact with victims. Ireland, Argentina, and Montenegro are particularly strong in running regular and systematic training for ‘first responders’.

Victim assistance for men, women and children is a weakness of all government responses. No country scored 100 percent on these activities while the majority of countries scored 50 percent or lower. Most countries either only provide short term assistance, neglecting long-term reintegration, or provide support solely for female or child victims.

Many countries are taking steps to respond to attitudes or institutions that enable modern slavery to exist (165 of 167). Of these governments, approximately 93 percent run public information campaigns to raise awareness of modern slavery, while only eight percent focus on behaviour change. Many countries also have in place safety nets, such as child protection systems, and protections for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and stateless people (120 of 167 countries). While these protections may exist in paper, the challenge is how to assess if such protections operate in reality.

Globally, only three governments are making some efforts to prevent the use of forced or slave labour in their supply chains, and in the supply chains of businesses operating in their country. These include the United States, Brazil and Australia. These countries have either made a public commitment to address modern slavery within their own supply chains, such as Australia, or have taken more active steps to ensure supply chain transparency, such the United States’ Executive Order, or Brazil’s Register of Companies (the Dirty List).

The Netherlands has the strongest response to modern slavery of the 167 countries examined, scoring highly across victim assistance programmes, criminal justice responses, and responding to institutional risk. The Netherlands includes the private sector in its National Action Plan and conducts independent evaluations.

Other governments in the top ten responses are, Sweden, the United States, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Georgia and Austria. Common characteristics of each of these countries are a strong political will to respond to the issue and a strong rule of law. These countries are also starting to take ownership of the link between business and modern slavery. In Brazil, companies that profit from slave labour are named and shamed. In the US, the government has taken steps to ensure its procurement practices are not contributing to modern slavery. In Australia, public procurement rules identify modern slavery as an important issue when considering the ethical behaviour of suppliers, but it is not clear if this has translated to action yet.

While these efforts are commendable, most countries within the top ten responses have strong economies, and also benefit from low prevalence and low risk across all vulnerability dimensions (indicating state stability, respect for human rights and rule of law). Despite these strong economies, none of these countries have a perfect response to modern slavery. In the US, victim support services are currently underfunded, and skewed towards supporting victims of sexual exploitation, but not forced labour despite recent studies confirming the significance of this problem. Victim support services in the Netherlands also focus predominately on those who experience commercial sexual exploitation.

The actions of Georgia deserve credit – despite having a weaker economy than many countries covered by the Index and ranking 78th in the Global Slavery Index for prevalence, the government has taken some strong steps to eradicate modern slavery. More, however, could be done to provide training to those who would ordinarily identify victims, and to address vulnerability factors.

In several of the countries in the top ten of responses, there is evidence of discriminatory migration policies, deportation of potential victims without sufficient screening, or criminalisation of victims for actions whilst under the control of criminals. The United Kingdom, for example, has been accused of deporting, or detaining in immigration detention centres, foreign migrants who are potential victims of modern slavery. There are inconsistencies in Australia’s screening processes of vulnerable migrant populations, such as asylum seekers, for indicators of trafficking. There have also been reports of children being treated as offenders in the United States for conduct committed as a direct result of being sold to others for sexual exploitation. Unaccompanied minors can also be subject to fast track screening and deportation at border points making it very unlikely for modern slavery to be detected.

Countries at the lower end of the ranking include North Korea, Iran, Syria, Eritrea, the Central African Republic, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan, the Republic of the Congo and Iraq. These countries are characterised by weak economies, high levels of instability caused by recent conflict, such as Libya and Syria, or government complicity in modern slavery. Uzbek cotton, produced with forced labour, is exported to Bangladesh, South Korea and China. In North Korea, prisoners in the gulag system – or forced labour camps – produce hardwoods for export to Japan. The forced labour systems in both Uzbekistan and North Korea are major contributors to their national economies.

Hong Kong, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia each have either a strong or middle range economy, but have a particularly poor response to modern slavery. The kafala system, which ties an employee to an employer, has facilitated significant abuses of domestic and construction workers in the Middle East. Hong Kong is part of a small group of countries in South East Asia, such as Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, who, despite their relative wealth, have done little to respond to the problem within their borders.

Overall, many countries appear to have responses in place on paper, yet modern slavery still persists. This indicates that these responses are either not fit for purpose, or are not being fully implemented, or a combination of the two. Countries in South East Asia, such as Thailand and Indonesia, appear to have strong responses on paper, but these are often poorly implemented, or are hampered by high levels of corruption.

Vulnerability

The vulnerability table below shows factors that put a country’s residents at risk of modern slavery. The higher the score, the more vulnerable a country’s population is to slavery. For more information on how to interpret the table or sort the data presented, please click on the help button.

In 2014, the Global Slavery Index examines the relative vulnerability of the population in individual countries to modern slavery, based on an analysis of data across five dimensions:

National policies to combat modern slavery.

The availability of human rights protections in a country.

The level of economic and social development in a country.

The level of state stability in a country.

The extent of women’s rights and levels of discrimination in a country.

In 2014, the ten countries where vulnerability is highest were: Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Syria, Libya, North Korea, and Afghanistan. In an effort to better understand the relative significance of each of the dimensions noted above, we undertook statistical testing (bivariate analysis) to examine the correlations between these dimensions, and prevalence of modern slavery. Correlation results confirm that the relationship between each of these dimensions and prevalence is statistically significant.
The strongest relationships (in order of strongest to weakest) are seen between:

State Stability and Prevalence (r = 0.55, p<.01)

Human Rights and Prevalence (r = 0.53, p<.01)

Development and Prevalence (r = 0.41, p<.01)

Discrimination and Prevalence (r =0.40, p<.01)

State Policy on Modern Slavery and Prevalence (r = 0.38, p<.01)

Each of these results is statistically significant indicating the relationship is not the result of chance (the closer r is to 1, the stronger the relationship between the two variables). The stability or instability of a country is a significant factor; protective policies will have little impact when a country’s rule of law has broken down because of civil war, or ethnic or religious conflict. In the Global Slavery Index the State Stability measure is an aggregate of factors that examine a country’s level of corruption, governance, independence of its judiciary, relative level of peace, political stability, level of violent crime, and availability of small arms and light weapons. Statistical testing confirms the relevance of modern slavery to conflict situations as we have seen this year in Syria and the horrors perpetrated by the terrorist group Islamic State.

High levels of prejudice and discrimination in a society can create a context that marks some people as less important and less deserving of rights and protection, which in turn makes the crime of modern slavery easier to commit against them. In the Global Slavery Index seven variables are used to measure the extent and types of discrimination. These factors include: discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, disability, immigration status, ethnicity, women’s political and economic rights, and the level of income inequality (Gini coefficient) in a given country. Statistical testing confirms the relationship between discrimination and prevalence of modern slavery.

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Survivors are identified, supported to exit and remain out of modern slavery

Criminal justice mechanisms address modern slavery

Coordination and accountability mechanisms for the central government are in place

Attitudes, social systems and institutions that enable modern slavery are addressed

Businesses and governments through their public procurement stop sourcing goods and services that use modern slavery

Government response rating: AAA

Numerical range: 59 to 64

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of AAA are as follows:
The government has an implemented an effective and comprehensive response to all forms of modern slavery, with effective emergency and long-term reintegration victim support services, a strong criminal justice framework, high levels of coordination and collaboration, measures to address all forms of vulnerability, and strong government procurement policies and legislation to ensure that slavery is not present in business supply chains. There is no evidence of criminalisation or deportation of victims.

Government response rating: AA

Numerical range: 53 to 58

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of AA are as follows:
The government has implemented a comprehensive response to most forms of modern slavery, with strong victim support services, a robust criminal justice framework, demonstrated coordination and collaboration, measures to address vulnerability, and government procurement guidelines and/or supply chain policies or legislation to ensure that slavery is not present in business supply chains.

Government response rating: A

Numerical range: 47 to 52

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of A are as follows:
The government has implemented key components of a holistic response to some forms of modern slavery, with strong victim support services, a strong criminal justice framework, demonstrated coordination and collaboration, measures to address vulnerability, and may have taken action to ensure that government procurement policies do not encourage slavery.

Government response rating: BBB

Numerical range: 41 to 46

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of BBB are as follows:
The government has implemented key components of a holistic response to modern slavery, with victim support services, a strong criminal justice response, evidence of coordination and collaboration, and protections in place for vulnerable populations. Governments may be beginning to address slavery in supply chains of government procurement, or of businesses operating within their territory. There may be evidence that some government policies and practices may criminalise and/or cause victims to be deported.

Government response rating: BB

Numerical range: 35 to 40

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of BB are as follows:
The government has introduced a response to modern slavery, which includes short term victim support services, a criminal justice framework that criminalises some forms of modern slavery, a body to coordinate the response, and protections for those vulnerable to modern slavery.There may be evidence that some government policies and practices may criminalise and/or cause victims to be deported, and/or facilitate slavery.

Government response rating: B

Numerical range: 29 to 34

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of B are as follows:
The government has introduced a response to modern slavery, with limited victim support services, a criminal justice framework that criminalises some forms of modern slavery, (or has recently amended inadequate legislation and policies), a body or mechanisms that coordinate the response, and has policies that provide some protection for those vulnerable to modern slavery. There is evidence that some government policies and practices may criminalise and/or deport victims, and/or facilitate slavery. Services may be provided by International Organisations (IOs)/ NGOs with international funding, sometimes with government monetary or in-kind support.

Government response rating: CCC

Numerical range: 23 to 28

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of CCC are as follows:
The government has a response to modern slavery, with limited victim support services, a criminal justice framework that criminalises some forms of modern slavery, has a national action plan and/or national coordination body, and has policies that provide some protections for those vulnerable to modern slavery. There is evidence that some government policies and practices may criminalise and/or deport victims, and/ or facilitate slavery. Services may be largely provided by IOs/NGOs with international funding, with limited government funding or in-kind support.

Government response rating: CC

Numerical range: 17 to 22

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of CC are as follows:
The government has a limited response to modern slavery, with largely basic victim support services, a limited criminal justice framework, limited coordination or collaboration mechanism, and few protections for those vulnerable to modern slavery.There may be evidence that some government policies and practices facilitate slavery. Services are largely provided by IOs/NGOs with limited government funding or in-kind support.

Government response rating: C

Numerical range: 11 to 16

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of C are as follows:
The government response to modern slavery is inadequate, with limited and/or few victim support services, a weak criminal justice framework, weak coordination or collaboration, while little is being done to address vulnerability.There are government practices and policies that facilitate slavery. Services, where available, are largely provided by IOs/NGOs with little government funding or in-kind support.

Government response rating: D

Numerical range: <0 to 10

The general characteristics of a country that has received a rating of D are as follows:
The government has a wholly inadequate response to modern slavery, and/ or there is evidence of government sanctioned modern slavery. However, countries in this category may be experiencing high levels of poverty and internal conflict that may prevent, or hinder a response to modern slavery.

How to interpret Ratings

The table below shows the prevalence of slavery, based on the percentage of the population enslaved and the estimated number of people enslaved by Country. The table can be sorted by clicking on the column title or the arrows. The colour scheme (see legend below) used in the bar charts also indicate if the number is relatively high to low. In order to see more detailed information about a country, you can click on the country’s name.

Ratings Legend

How did we measure Prevalence?

Measuring modern slavery is a very difficult undertaking due to the hidden nature of the crime. Surveys represent the most accurate method for estimating the numbers of people enslaved. This year, the Walk Free Foundation commissioned Gallup Inc. to conduct nationally representative, random-sample surveys in seven countries: Nepal, Indonesia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Russia, Pakistan, and Nigeria. The results from these surveys were considered alongside data from other pre-existing surveys and a review of secondary sources for 58 countries. Data from a total of 19 countries was obtained from random sample surveys, including the seven Gallup survey countries. An extrapolation method was developed for the remaining countries that took into account factors including vulnerability, geography, and country context to produce an appropriate multiplier. The preliminary prevalence estimates were then reviewed against secondary source estimates and qualitative information collated for 58 countries. Final country level adjustments were made to specific countries where deemed appropriate, in particular for Small Island Developing States.

How to interpret Government Response

The Aster plot graph below indicates a government’s response to slavery. Each wedge in the chart represents one of the five outcomes we evaluated when determining Government Response. The height of each wedge indicates the score(%). Higher values indicate stronger Government Response. Colour is also used to indicate how strong or weak a country’s response was for each outcome. The colour legend is below. Rolling over each wedge in the graph will display the score received for each outcome in our evaluation. The alphabetical depiction is a ‘rating’ of the strength of government responses to modern slavery. The highest possible rating is an AAA, and the lowest a D.

Government Response Outcomes (%)

How did we measure effective government response?

A methodology was developed to measure how well governments are responding to modern slavery in 167 countries. A team of researchers collected data 32 data points against the following five outcomes for each country:

Survivors are identified, supported to exit and remain out of modern slavery;

Criminal justice mechanisms address modern slavery;

Coordination and accountability mechanisms for the central government are in place;

Attitudes, social systems and institutions that enable modern slavery are addressed;

Businesses and governments through their public procurement stop sourcing goods and services that use modern slavery.

In April 2014, the Walk Free Foundation also conducted a survey of 167 governments; information from the 39 responses were incorporated into relevant country research.

To learn more about the methodology and the rating system used to measure government response, click here.

How to interpret Government Response

In the Government Response table, each country was given a letter rating based the strength of government responses to modern slavery. The highest possible rating is an AAA, and the lowest a D. Colour is used to indicate how strong or weak a country’s response was for each of five outcomes we assessed (see the legend below). Rolling over a row will allow you to see the scores (as a %) for each outcome. Higher values indicate stronger government response. All of the columns in the table can be sorted by clicking on the column title. The order of the sort can be reversed by clicking on the title again.

Government Response Outcomes (%)

How did we measure effective government response?

A methodology was developed to measure how well governments are responding to modern slavery in 167 countries. A team of researchers collected data 31 data points against the following five outcomes for each country:

Survivors are identified, supported to exit and remain out of modern slavery;

Criminal justice mechanisms address modern slavery;

Coordination and accountability mechanisms for the central government are in place;

Attitudes, social systems and institutions that enable modern slavery are addressed;

Businesses and governments through their public procurement stop sourcing goods and services that use modern slavery.

In April 2014, the Walk Free Foundation also conducted a survey of 167 governments; information from the 39 responses were incorporated into relevant country research.

To learn more about the methodology and the rating system used to measure government response, click here.

How to interpret vulnerability

The vulnerability table shows factors that put a country’s residents at risk of modern slavery. The higher the score, the more vulnerable a country’s population is to slavery. Colour is also used to indicate how vulnerable each country is by each of the 5 dimensions. The colour legend is below.

Vulnerability Dimension(%)

How did we measure vulnerability?

The third aim of the Global Slavery Index is to explore the contextual factors that impact the vulnerability of people in a country to modern slavery. Various sources of information were collected on 37 variables from reputable sources across five dimensions that affect vulnerability to enslavement such as:

National anti-slavery policies to combat modern slavery;

The availability of human rights protections in a country;

The level of economic and social development in a country;

The level of state stability in a country; and

The extent of women’s rights and levels of discrimination in a country.

The research attempts to understand the importance of these factors or drivers which may influence the context of vulnerability in countries to modern slavery.

To learn more about the methodology used to determine vulnerability, click here.

How to interpret vulnerability

In the vulnerability table, colour is used to indicate how vulnerable a country’s population is to Modern Slavery across five dimensions. (see the legend below) Rolling over a row will allow you to see the scores (as a %) that each country received. The higher the score, the more vulnerable a country’s population is to slavery. All of the columns in the table can be sorted by clicking on the column title. The order of the sort can be reversed by clicking on the title again.

Vulnerability Dimension(%)

How did we measure vulnerability?

The third aim of the Global Slavery Index is to explore the contextual factors that impact the vulnerability of people in a country to modern slavery. Various sources of information were collected on 37 variables from reputable sources across five dimensions that affect vulnerability to enslavement such as:

National anti-slavery policies to combat modern slavery;

The availability of human rights protections in a country;

The level of economic and social development in a country;

The level of state stability in a country; and

The extent of women’s rights and levels of discrimination in a country.

The research attempts to understand the importance of these factors or drivers which may influence the context of vulnerability in countries to modern slavery.

To learn more about the methodology used to determine vulnerability, click here.